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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The BEA (Book Expo America) Post

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do for this post. I could list the books I got (all of them or just a few) but I thought that just talking about the experience would be better. (I will list my favorite I got at the bottom / the ones I'm most looking forward to reading).

I went to the Blogger convention the day before BEA started. It was different then last year, I had done this before, and I had an idea of what I was doing - kind of - so I felt better sitting and listening to the keynote speakers.

The Keynote speaker was author Will Schwalbe, who wrote a book called The End of Your Life Book Club, and I loved his talk. One of his main points was how we should all ask each other 'what are you reading?' more, and it would randomly pop into my head over the weekend. It's a good question to ask at BEA if you're in a line and bored and exhausted, people at a convention about books normally have an answer.

However, if you went out, just on the street, and asked someone - they might not. They'd be surprised, might say they're not reading anything, that they're inbetween books, which is just kind of... sad. I hope you know what I mean about that, meaning there's a book for everyone and they could be missing out on the one that would convince them to change their whole life and move to Australia. Anyway, let's not get too philosophical here, aren't you here to hear about books and shenanigans?

I met up with my friend on the first day in line, Jennifer Levine, who you should follow on twitter here (she has Glass, it was kind of awesome, and she's documenting conventions with it so you should probably check her out). And we ended up hanging out pretty much the whole convention and tag teaming lines and stuff, it was a blast. I got to see some other friends, who are authors, and I hadn't seen in far, far too long.

I think one of the best things ever, was meeting Daniel Handler (aka: Lemony Snicket), he is hilarious and amazing and will just joke with you until you have to walk away because the line needs to keep moving. He was fantastic and I'd love to be his best friends (also his pink tie rocked, I wish I'd remembered to compliment him on it). Also, there was a younger girl in front of us, probably about ten, and she was fangirling kind of quietly and in awe. It was adorable.

Another 'best thing ever' that we did, was get first in line for one of those author friends signings. Robyn Schneider was signing for a short time and we wanted to see her (and get arcs of the book I feel like I've been hearing about for years). And she was overwhelmed by the line, it was incredibly long. And, apparently, a fairy played her out on a flute? I missed this, as I didn't stay for the whole thing, she told us after, when we ran into her at the HarperCollins booth, apparently the fairy was signing after her.

I didn't take really any pictures, honestly. I should have, probably, but I just didn't. I couldn't find my main camera when we were packing and I ended up with just a Flip camera, my other one with no memory card. I have pictures from the week, but not many.

I talked to a girl in line, waiting for Harry Potter lithographs, and she was a nerdfighter (I'm assuming, she was also fangirling David Levithan), and she was amazed I didn't vlog. And her and Jenn kind of convinced me so - soon, that will be happening soon. As soon as all the books that are just piled on the floor get in the new bookcase that isn't set up yet.

Now, onto the books. Before that, though. Did any of you guys go to BEA? Could we have met? (I didn't write a 'hey, I'm going to this thing post' because I bought my ticket two weeks before it happened because my mom thought we should go. So there's that).
If you did: what books did you get? did you have a blast?
If you didn't: did you watch some of the livestreams? Were they awesome, too? And did you just avoid twitter all week to not become jealous? (That's what I do during cons I'm not at, so I'm curious if any of you do, too). Now - books.

Books I got and am most looking forward to:
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (I already finished this on the drive home, shh. It was amazing!!)
Vicious by Victoria Schwab
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
Where Did You See Her Last (All The Wrong Questions #2) by Lemony Snicket
The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett (which is a rerelease, but I've never read it and it's apparently very different from the original book he published when he was very young).
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

And there's more, a pile about, but those are the ones I have in a pile next to me, waiting for the right time to be picked up and read.